Outbreak Brief 7: Monkeypox in Africa Union Member States

25 August 2022

Global Update (non-endemic countries)[1]: As of 24 August 2022, 45,535 confirmed cases of monkeypox and 110 deaths were reported from 98 countries/territories globally. The countries reporting the majority of cases are mainly in Europe and North America.[2]

Africa update (endemic[3] and non-endemic countries): Since the last brief (17 August 2022), a total of 219 new cases (48 confirmed; 171 suspected) and no new deaths of monkeypox were reported from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Nigeria. This is a 54% increase in the number of new confirmed cases since the last brief. Cumulatively, 3,451 cases (459 confirmed; 2,992 suspected) and 105 deaths (case fatality rate [CFR]: 3%) of monkeypox were reported from 11 African Union (AU) Member States (MS) since January 2022 (Table 1).

DRC: Since the last brief (17 August 2022), 114 new suspected cases and no new deaths of monkeypox were reported in DRC. Cumulatively, 2,380 cases (163 confirmed; 2,217 suspected) and 93 deaths (CFR: 3.9%) were reported from 128 health zones in 21 provinces of DRC.Nigeria: Since the last brief (17 August 2022), the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) reported 105 new cases (48 confirmed; 57 suspected) and no new deaths of monkeypox in Nigeria. This is a greater than 100% increase in the number of new confirmed cases compared to the last brief. Cumulatively, 750 cases (220 confirmed; 530 suspected) and four deaths (CFR: 0.5%) of monkeypox were reported from 34 states in Nigeria.


[1] Global case and death numbers are inclusive of numbers being reported in Africa.

[2] US CDC – https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/world-map.html; WHO – https://worldhealthorg.shinyapps.io/mpx_global/

[3] Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, and Sierra Leone